A Message from the President

On behalf of the Vision Forum Ministries, I want to welcome you to a special experiment in Christian filmmaking — the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (SAICFF) and the Jubilee Awards.

Henry Van Til correctly observed that “culture is religion externalized.” By this, he meant that the culture of a people reflects their true religious priorities. The music, paintings, and film of a nation (not to mention the thousands of daily cultural expressions — how we live, eat, work, and entertain ourselves) express our priorities, our values, and our true faith. The Bible teaches that all men have faith, in that they either worship the creature or they worship the Creator, but no man is free from religious commitment. When a people worship sensuality or embrace dark visions of reality, it is always evidenced in the arts. There is no neutrality! On the other hand, when a nation fears and loves the God of Holy Scripture, their religious commitment is evidenced in the music they play, the way they dress, and their vision of family life.

The fact is that America is discontent with Hollywood’s negative, monopolistic stranglehold on film and culture. The humanistic religious worldview of Hollywood elites and their intense hatred for Christianity and the value system which it embodies has created a rift in American culture and profoundly damaged the American family. We intend to respond, not by cursing the darkness, but by lighting candles. Building a community of independent Christian filmmakers is one such candle.

The future of our culture will be waged in the hearts and souls of the people of this nation. The vision of the Jubilee Awards and the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival is to make one of the many steps needed to lead men to Christ, to train Christians to actually think like Christians, and to take back the culture for the Lord Jesus Christ in the area of film by encouraging, motivating, and rewarding those uncompromising, creative, and innovative filmmakers who are willing to take the narrow path.

This is a wonderful time to be a Christian engaged in the arts. The cultural antithesis between good and evil is ever widening. The enormous leadership vacuum within our culture has opened a world of opportunity for a new generation of maverick Christians to challenge the status quo presented by Hollywood. More than ever before in the recent history of our nation, we have access to the tools for waging a new form of cultural guerilla warfare against the elites who would redefine the biblical family out of existence and present a dark and nefarious vision of reality to the future. We need Christians to challenge the present culture of death, infidelity, perversion, and ethical malaise by boldly proclaiming the crown rights of Jesus Christ over every sphere of life and thought — including film. God has given us a tremendous window of opportunity. We must seize the day!

Who should attempt this journey of cultural dominion? Those creative, innovative students, writers, producers, and directors who can think outside the box, who will not compromise their values for a paycheck, who love the Lord Jesus with all their hearts, and who have a great passion for this remarkable medium.

Along the way, we want to have a lot of fun. We hope to see diverse and innovative films that fill us with joyous laughter for the glory of God, that make us rejoice in the goodness of Jehovah over His creation, that prepare us to be better warriors for Christ, that draw us closer to our Savior, and that give a Gospel message of hope to a dying generation.

Please join us this October in San Antonio — a beautiful city full of life, a rich historic past, and wonderful food — for a weekend of interaction with interesting and like-minded Christians from across the nation. Whether you are making a submission or just coming to enjoy the films, we believe that the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival will be a blessing that you will not soon forget.

Persevero,
Doug Phillips
President, Vision Forum Ministries